Sienna Miller says she doesn’t remember six weeks of Jude Law affair scandal: ‘I was in so much shock’
‘That was one of the most challenging moments I hope I’ll ever have to experience,' actor says
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sienna Miller has revealed that six weeks of her life are a blank, due to the shock caused by the media frenzy over her then-fiancé Jude Law’s affair.
In 2005, it was revealed that Law had cheated on Miller with their children’s nanny. He issued a public apology to her at the time.
In the ensuing months, Miller, who was making her stage debut in a West End production of Shakespeare’s As You Like It opposite Dominic West, was relentlessly hounded by paparazzi.
“That was one of the most challenging moments I hope I’ll ever have to experience,” the Golden Globe-nominated actor told The Daily Beast.
“Because with that level of public heartbreak, to have to get out of a bed let alone stand in front of 800 people every night, it’s just the last thing you want to do.
“It was really hard. And the other thing was, it was at the height of all that paparazzi madness, and in London where there was an epidemic of bad behaviour. They knew where I would be every night.”
While Miller still managed to receive critical raves for her performance, she said she struggled to remember the details of her life during that time.
“There’s a whole six weeks of that experience that I don’t remember. I have no recollection of it,” she said.
“People who came to see me said we had dinner, and I don’t remember. I was in so much shock over it all. And I’d really just begun. I was only 23. But if you get through that, you feel like you can get through anything.”
In 2011, the now-defunct tabloid The News of the World admitted liability over the hacking of Miller’s phone during the scandal, and paid her £100,000 – the highest invasion-of-privacy settlement at the time.
“It was a long battle, and I think I was really paranoid,” Miller said. “There was so much noise that it was hard to think straight and focus on my work, which I always took very seriously. It ate everything else. I look back on it and wonder how I did get through it—but I did.”
Miller has gone on to become one of the most respected actors of her generation, appearing in critically acclaimed dramas including The Girl, Foxcatcher and American Woman.
She next stars in forthcoming drama Wander Darkly, opposite Diego Luna. The film is released on 11 December.